[gaia67]

I am amazed at how valuable this practice is for me.

[tinyrabbit]

Are you willing to tell us about why you find it valuable?

I asked my T if I could and he said sure, it's my therapy, but I decided not to.

[gaia67]

Originally Posted by tinyrabbit

Are you willing to tell us about why you find it valuable?

I asked my T if I could and he said sure, it's my therapy, but I decided not to.

I find, in listening to the sessions after the fact, I'm able to give note thought to the issues e discuss, pick up on nuances I missed during the session, etc. It's super helpful. Can I ask why you decided against it?

[Leah123]

I have records of most of my sessions, simply because my therapist and I work online, so we have chat records and email records, though I don't receive records of our phone sessions.

I find those records wonderful: I can go back and receive reassurance from certain portions, I can go back and process challenging concepts at more length later, when I feel safer, or ready for them, I can more accurately work through ruptures, and reference past discussions better in current sessions. Also, sometimes I like to glance through the months' worth and see my progress. Just knowing most of our conversations are in print is very grounding.

The only two downsides I've found is that if I'm feeling anxious, I may reread a controversial few lines repeatedly and worry over them until we've cleared it up, also, sometimes such intense topics are a little overwhelming to reread- as someone who struggles with dissociation occasionally, this can trigger it if I'm in a really exhausted, emotional, difficult place.

[tinyrabbit]

Originally Posted by gaia67

I find, in listening to the sessions after the fact, I'm able to give note thought to the issues e discuss, pick up on nuances I missed during the session, etc. It's super helpful. Can I ask why you decided against it?

Thanks for elaborating. And, sure. It's partly because I hate the sound of my own voice on tape, partly because I thought I might behave differently as I'd feel like I was somehow performing or on show, and partly because I already spend a lot of time dwelling on sessions and am not sure doing that more would be good for me.

That, and I'm afraid to hear how moody and stroppy and wounded I sound all the time in there.

[BlessedRhiannon]

Yes, I've been recording my sessions for a while now. Most of them, I listen to once and then delete. Some, I've saved. For me, it's helpful to see where my triggers are, and if I start to dissociate during a session, I can go back and listen to see what happened and what I might have missed. It's also helpful because I can play back things T has said that I found particularly insightful or helpful when I encounter similar situations to one we've already talked about.

I hate the sound of my voice on tape, but it's also allowed me to notice some speaking habits that I find really annoying, so I can work to correct those.

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by tinyrabbit

Thanks for elaborating. And, sure. It's partly because I hate the sound of my own voice on tape, partly because I thought I might behave differently as I'd feel like I was somehow performing or on show, and partly because I already spend a lot of time dwelling on sessions and am not sure doing that more would be good for me.

That, and I'm afraid to hear how moody and stroppy and wounded I sound all the time in there.

This is exactly why i haven't asked to record my sessions, even tho i would really like the benefit of going over them and hearing what my T ACTUALLY said and not what my twisted little brain heard.

Also, this might sound stupid, but i feel like what goes on in that room between us is kind of sacred and recording just seems wrong somehow.Like you know how some people used to think a camera took a picture and took some of your soul with it? Well i feel the same about recording sessions.... i do know that is weird tho

[tinyrabbit]

I would be interested to see if I can hear the things I miss in session or if I just mishear them again.

[ar2004]

Sometimes I wish I had them recorded because I get home and forget things. I've started the practice of writing a few notes when I get to my car but usually my mind is racing too much trying to process it all that I can't get it out. I may start jotting down notes when I am with my T but just quick ones to jog my memory later.

[tinyrabbit]

I'm still considering this. It might help during vacations.

[Rzay4]

Hadn't thought of this but might do this my next session. Thanks all.

[healingme4me]

I have never considered doing this. Not sure I'd even want to. Replaying that hour long session? With another session that is roughly every one to two weeks, later?

I try to take from my sessions, the most that I can.

Ever read the book, "If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him! The Pilgrimage of Psychotherapy Patients" ?

[tinyrabbit]

Never heard of that book. Sounds interesting - I will look it up.

[Blue_Bird]

Never done this, I usually just right down in my journal for that day a little bit about how it went

[Daeva]

I record them in my diary, I write them down when I get out of the session.

[stopdog]

I take notes and record. It helps me to be able to check when the woman denies or forgets what she or I said.

I think it takes the power out the therapy. We retain what we are able to at any given time.
It becomes contrived if we listen to what was said and simply correct our thinking. It's best to work with any confusion within the session.

[Leah123]

Originally Posted by _Mouse

I think it takes the power out the therapy. We retain what we are able to at any given time.
It becomes contrived if we listen to what was said and simply correct our thinking. It's best to work with any confusion within the session.

I'm not sure. My experience is different. I wonder if you might think of it as if therapy is the test, we take it and either arrive at accurate or inaccurate answers, and working with the recording is where we can go back and correct our answers for our sake: for the sake of understanding the problem better next time and self-satisfaction, as well as for taking the opportunity to study a subject we find interesting. I could compare therapeutic records to buying a record of a concert I attended: listening to the record won't give me the same experience, but it's lovely to have more time to hear the lyrics and find new insights in them.

Of course, therapy's not a test, no perfect way to do it, and one size doesn't fit all, so I understand recording sessions would only be beneficial for some.

For me, since I don't believe it's possible to perfectly resolve/reflect on/work through everything in session, and also that it's not possible to even address every potential issue within 50 minutes, that it's nice to have a reassuring record to work through further for those of us that like home study, haha. This is not to say I do not re-address confusion or issues in subsequent therapy sessions: my therapist and I definitely experience and work through ruptures on a regular basis.

As far as retaining what we're able to at any time.... I guess maybe the way I need to think of it as that a session might be all a client is able to retain, maybe not everyone is ready to have more access to the material, and it can be really helpful to know the therapeutic hour is a contained reality/experience.

[gaia67]

Originally Posted by _Mouse

I think it takes the power out the therapy. We retain what we are able to at any given time.
It becomes contrived if we listen to what was said and simply correct our thinking. It's best to work with any confusion within the session.

For me, there have been times I didn't even realize there was confusion until I listened to the session later.

Leah if it works for you it does.
Everything you gain from listening. I gain anyway during sessions. Maybe not in one session. But eventually it becomes clear
Sometimes it's the confusion that's the communication.

[tinyrabbit]

Originally Posted by _Mouse

I think it takes the power out the therapy. We retain what we are able to at any given time.
It becomes contrived if we listen to what was said and simply correct our thinking. It's best to work with any confusion within the session.

I think this is my worry. I'm not sure it's better if I go away and figure out what my T "really" said or what his tone of voice "really" was as I'm having whatever experience I have for a reason.

[Stereo]

For those of you who have recorded sessions, did your therapist know you were recording them?

[gaia67]

Originally Posted by Stereo

For those of you who have recorded sessions, did your therapist know you were recording them?

Oh, absolutely. I wouldn't dream of doing it otherwise. That would be very wrong, IMO.

Sent from my LG-MS770 using Tapatalk now Free

[Leah123]

Oh yes, she definitely knows.

[dulcebear]

I have taped every one of my sessions for the past 2 years. I asked in the first session if I could tape them and he thought it was a good idea. I listen over and over all week. I tend to dissociate when I'm in the session so by taping them I can remember what went on when I'm by myself and more relaxed. It has helped to have them taped so I can go back to him and clarify something that I didn't understand or reinforce something I really needed to hear. It has cut down on phone calls and texts to him during the week because I feel like I can soak up more of the caring when I'm listening.